Stockholm Syndrome?
by DisneyOTPFanatic
Summary: Trapped, alone, in a cell... Her only company being irritating guards..."Your status won't get you anything out here, Captain. No one cares about who you were. They only care about who you will be. So get used to it." Her own thoughts... "I tried to escape...Nothing worked. I was finished." And an awkward doctor who isn't quite like the others..."Please..." *DRAMATIC MUSIC*
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey guys! Wow it's been some time, huh? You wouldn't believe how busy I've been with school, work study, church, babysitting, social life, and stuff like that. I haven't had much time to sit down and write, mostly because I've had some serious writer's block. Plus, turning 19 made everything even busier. Enjoy!**_

 _All I thought of in those first few moments was the pain. Hot bolts of excruciating agony soaring through my veins, rendering me useless and sore. Although impaired, my senses told me I was alone, face down on a cold, damp floor. Through the intense rushing sound of the blood in my ears, I could hear clunky footsteps and water dripping far far away. The room smelled of mold, wet dog, and dirty laundry._

" _I have... to get out of here…"_

 _My own voice sounded weak, far away, and hoarse. It almost sounded as if I hadn't said anything at all. But it did bounce around a bit, telling my sensitive ears that I was in a small room, the walls a few feet from my fingertips. Forcing myself to open my eyes, all I could make out through the foggy, drug-induced haze was a door off to my right. The door was wooden, and obviously locked. Light slid through the tiny, rusty window slit near the top, and a small doggy door-like opening sat at the bottom of the door. Not nearly big enough to escape through._

" _There must be a window somewhere...Something…" I thought groggily, forcing myself to fight my intense nausea and sit up on my knees._

 _After a few minutes of gagging and dry heaving uncontrollably, I was able to stand. Feeling quite proud of myself, I raised a foot, prepared to take a step towards the door. Suddenly, the floor rushed up at me, and moments later I was out again._

 _When I finally came to, I was still where I had ended up, face down, my hand outstretched toward the door. My nausea was gone, but my frustration had spiked. A sickly groan slid from my lips as I realized my outstretched hand was immersed in a lump of chunky white substance on a tray._

" _Mashed potatoes…?"_

 _The words seemed foreign in my mouth, but I decided not to question it, and decided it was due to whatever they had done to me. Sitting up slowly, I noticed the streaks of potato on the doggy door, and the scrape marks on the floor leading from the door to the tray. Someone had obviously slid the tray through the door. Apparently, whoever had put me here didn't want me to starve. Which meant I was valuable...That could work in my favor._

 _After eating my fill of the awkwardly starchy potatoes, I forced myself to stand up and take in my surroundings. Still a cold, damp room with a weathered wooden door. Behind me was a raggedy mattress, riddled with holes. After examining the door, I stood on my tiptoes and looked through the window slit. My room was at the end of a long cement hallway, and at the other end there was a door, which I guessed led to an exit of some kind. All my searching had told me...Was that I was trapped._

 _I sat on the floor trying to think of an escape plan. I sat and sat, until the light from the door darkened and I could barely see. I heard a voice over an intercom of some sort, giving out orders in some foreign language. And then nothing._

" _Bloody brilliant…"_

 _After an hour of sitting in the dark, I found my eyelids getting heavy. I realized I wouldn't be able to escape if I was barely conscious, and succumbed to sleep. Nightmares plagued me throughout the night, but somehow I could never wake up to escape them. When I finally did awaken, it was still pitch black. I could still hear water dripping from somewhere beyond, but no other sounds stuck out. I rolled over on my stagnant mattress and faced the door. Something inside me begged and prayed that someone would walk in that I could either attack or beg for help escaping… But no one came._

 _The rest of the night was uneventful, but at one point I did start to recall faces and voices from when I was taken. Strangely, right after I started to remember, the room filled with a foul smelling gas and I collapsed. When I woke, light spilled from the door, and I couldn't remember anything from the kidnapping._

 _I tried different escape methods as time went on, from pretending to be sick to threatening the guards with my naval credentials. Nothing worked. Every attempt got me a mocking laugh and an order to shut up. But I did learn something. During one of my attempts of threatening, a cocky guard had blurted:_

" _Your status won't get you anything out here, Captain. No one cares about who you were. They only care about who you will be. So get used to it."_

 _The other guard had punched him in the arm and shushed him, but it was too late. So, I was far away from civilization, or at least far away from anyone who would care about a captain of the Royal Navy. And apparently, whoever had taken me had big plans for me._

 _Days went by, the same monotonous routine:_

 _ **Wake up**_

 _ **Try to escape**_

 _ **Eat mush**_

 _ **Try to escape**_

 _ **Sleep**_

 _I kept track of time on the floor, using the heel of my boot to leave faint black tally marks. About 2 weeks after I'd arrived, my door opened. I caught a brief glimpse, but right as I was about to speak, gas filled my nose and I fainted. I woke up weak and limp on my mattress, my vision so blurry that I couldn't see anything but blobs. My limbs felt like lead, and my mouth was dry. Still, I tried to speak. There was someone in my room with me, and I felt slight pressure on different parts of my body. Feeling violated, I mumbled out hoarse, slurred sentences._

" _Who're yu…?"_

 _The figure jumped, fumbled for a bit, then spoke._

" _I'm a d-doctor. I'm...Just h-here to c-check up on y-your h-health."_

 _My jumbled brain took in as much as it could, and translated it. The figure was a male, Canid from the looks of it, due to the blurry lumps traversing my body which seemed to be large hands. He seemed awkward, uncomfortable even._

" _Wheremm...I?"_

 _The Canid turned and looked behind himself, then cleared his throat and spoke as he continued to work, pushing a needle into my arm._

" _Containment facility."_

 _I opened my mouth to ask him to elaborate, so I could get some answers, but suddenly he stood, putting the syringe away._

" _I've already said too much." he said hurriedly._

 _I tried to grab him, but he stood and turned his back._

" _I'm f-finished." he said in the direction of the door, and as the door was being unlocked, I caught his blurry face looking at me._

" _I'm sorry." he whispered, before he sighed and left._

 _As soon as the door closed behind him, I suddenly felt my body relax and go numb, and my mind struggled to grasp reality._

" _N-No...Come...back…"_

 _I was out only moments later. When I finally woke up, it was still light out. Sitting up and looking around, everything was the same… Except now there was a mirror and sink on the right wall. A washcloth hung over the rim of the sink. Standing shakily, I struggled to the sink and read the dry erase ink scrawled across the top of the mirror._

" _ **Clean yourself up. That's not a suggestion."**_

 _Cursing under my breath, I swiped my hand over the words, erasing them. Letting out a long sigh, I did as I was told, part of me relishing in the feel of the cool water and smell of soap. I couldn't fight the smile that spread over my dry lips as dirt, sweat, and caked-on blood was wiped away. I scrubbed my hair, cringing at how much of a tangle my auburn tresses had become. I bit my lip as I thought of how I'd considered cutting it short for the voyage, and wished I hadn't decided against it. Even though I couldn't see any, I suspected that there was some kind of monitoring system set up. It took me about 5 seconds to decide not to give my captors a peep show, and leave the rest of my body the way it was._

 _Just as I was finishing, the soft "swoosh" of paper was heard near the door. Turning, I saw that a letter had been pushed underneath the door. Setting down the towel, I hurried quietly over to the door and picked up the letter._

 **I'm sorry I couldn't say much. Too many eyes. I want to help, but we're both prisoners here. I want to help you, I really do, but there's too much at stake… I have to protect myself. I'm sorry. Do what they say, and you'll live. Don't fight them. You won't survive.**

 _Part of me wanted to follow the doctor's advice, but my will to be independent reminded me of who I was. Captain Amelia Smollet. And I never give up._

 _I didn't have many ways to fight back. And with the doctor visiting silently every two weeks, making me comply and making sure I was healthy, I realized that whoever took me...Must've needed me alive. So I stopped eating. Hopefully some superior would come and interrogate me, and I would find out why I am here._

 _My captors did take notice, but instead of sending someone else in, they sent the doctor in with different syringes. I noticed the color change of the liquid in the vial, and asked the doctor about it. If anyone had answers, it was him._

" _Tell me...more..." I mumbled during one of his visits. He had just injected me with the Haloperidol, so my mouth felt strange, and my tongue felt like it was flopping uselessly in my mouth. My mind was foggy, and I was barely gripping reality._

 _The doctor was silent._

" _Please…"_

 _He said nothing for a while, then took a deep breath and spoke, never stopping his work._

" _You stopped eating."_

 _I said nothing._

" _My superiors have noticed...They weren't fazed. They have me giving you nutrients in your injections." he lowered his voice, avoiding my eyes. " I told you to comply. They won't hurt you. You're better off obeying."_

 _I tried to protest, but he stood and gathered his things. When he was finished, he met my eyes, and I suddenly found myself falling headfirst into his pleading brown eyes._

" _Please. We don't need more corpses."_

 _All I could do was manage a weak nod, my heart dropping._

 _He left without another word, leaving me to fall into unconsciousness alone, feeling almost guilty for fighting for my freedom._

 _ **A/N: Geez I'm behind… School just started up again, I've been busy with work and such, and social life has been insane. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the first chapter, and I would loooove some more ideas for the next chapter! Leave ideas in the reviews! You'll get credit for your idea, and I will of course thank you! Love you guys! Review please! Tell me if this is going anywhere!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hiiii! I just wanna take the time to say thank you to those who reviewed, even though it's been a super long time since I've updated… :D Anyway, enjoy!**

 _The time between the doctor's visits started to grow, until he was only visiting once every other week. I kept up my charade, trying to seem reluctant and irritated, but it felt even more genuine now that I felt ignored. The visits were always short, almost silent, and exceedingly frustrating. I found myself trying to pry answers from him, which turned out to be a waste of time. The only question he answered was why I had to be drugged every time he came in._

 _"My superiors didn't find you to be very compliant when...sober."_

 _As time went on, I stopped asking questions. If he didn't want to answer me, I wasn't going to waste my time asking. I let him come in, do his job, and leave. The less time he spent with me, the more time I could dedicate to finding a way to get away from this horrid place and forget about my time here._

 _At least, that's what I told myself. In the back of my mind, I knew that the real reason I went silent was because I knew that less time he spent with me, the safer he was. Besides, I had begun to feel little bits of affection towards the doctor, and idiotically falling for him wasn't going to aid my escape. It didn't help that when I found it hard to sleep at night, I would imagine him there, gently lulling me to sleep with his gentle voice and soft caresses. Ugh, it was true. The less time we spent together, the better._

 _During one visit, many months after my first arrival here, I lay on my back as he prepped the needle with my nutritional injection, my arm exposed. I was silent, as I had gotten accustomed to being, but my eyes stayed trained on his face. His expression was neutral, or as neutral as it could be. I knew he could feel my eyes on him, because his soft brown eyes met mine for a brief moment. Of course, he looked away immediately, but I caught a glimpse of the regret in his eyes. He knew something._

 _"...I'm not sure...who intimidated you into silence...but we both know you know something…" I mumbled in my drug-induced stupor._

 _Even with my eyes drifting lazily around the room, I saw him tense up, so I continued to press._

 _"My name is Amelia...Amelia Smollet…" he turned his gaze to me, fear in his eyes. I could tell exactly what he was thinking. He was wondering why I was telling him my real name… Since we had silently agreed not to address each other by any names. Saying my real name out loud could cause more problems...For myself and him. It showed his superiors that we were becoming friends, which was dangerous, but I needed him to tell me what he knew…_ _And to do that, I had to show him I trusted him, so hopefully he would trust me as well._

 _He was silent for a while, just staring at me. I blinked lazily, the meds slowly guiding me into unconsciousness. Right before I went out, his voice lightly brushed my subconscious, and what he said would stick in my mind forever, even against my will._

 _"My name is Delbert."_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _That evening, I sat against the back wall, fighting my sleep. The guards had left hours ago to get some rest, and I was exhausted from trying to find a weakness in the door frame, as I was prone to do, as fruitless a task it was. Something deep inside me told me that if I kept fighting, somehow someone would come and help me..."Someone". The word held a different connotation now. Whenever I'd thought of it before, I thought of an official, a colleague, someone who just happened to notice my absence. But when the word came to mind now, I immediately thought of Delbert, the Canid doctor who had tried to help me despite the danger._

 _Allowing my mind to wander, I thought back to the many times he'd come in, and how I would take note of how gentle he was with me, even before we'd decided to collaborate. I thought back to how I would be barely conscious or aware of my surroundings, but could feel his hands on my arms, careful of the bruises due to my many embarrassing, panic-induced escape attempts. I remembered hearing him apologize for his chilly fingers, even though he thought I heard nothing._

 _Common courtesy. He felt obligated to apologize, nothing more. Backtracking a bit, I found myself wondering why he was so gentle with my arms, and blushed when I remembered hearing the pity and sadness in his voice as he ran his hand over the bruises there._

 ** _"Vandalism on a masterpiece…"_**

 _I'd barely caught his words, before he was no longer there. My mind involuntarily went directly to a thought I'd been suppressing, and I almost growled in frustration._

 _Perhaps he did care, in some small region of his heart, he was genuinely concerned._

 _"Amelia!"_

 _My eyes shot open, cutting through the darkness directly to the door, where the hurried whisper had come from._

 _"Delbert?"_

 _Crawling over to the door, I couldn't help but smile when his brown eyes met my green ones. I started to ask him how he got here, why was he here, and what was he doing, but he suddenly moved away. The next sound I heard from the gentle clicking of the lock and the groan of my cell door being opened._

 _"I received special permission to allow you some fresh air tonight." he grinned, and all I could do was smile._

 _"How?"_

 _"It doesn't matter. But...There is a condition. Close your eyes, please."_

 _Skeptical, but too excited to care much, I closed my eyes, and allowed him to tie a blindfold around my head._

 _"You're not allowed to see how to get in or out."_

 _This was expected, so I said nothing. At first, I walked with my arms outstretched, one holding onto the back of his shirt, and the other feeling for obstacles like narrow hallways. I felt around for banisters when we went up some stairs, and it pained me to know how close I was to freedom… And yet how far away I was as well._

 _"Up on the surface, life continues as usual I suppose. Except… There's an air of difference. People don't hurry to work or school any longer. They all walk as if they know an awful secret and are stuck on that secret alone." Delbert said quietly, and I guessed the silence was bothering him, because it was bothering me. Everything sounded metallic, old, and smelled like rust._

 _"What about the rest of the...facility? What's it like?" I asked, almost tripping over the top stair._

 _"You can imagine why I can't describe it in detail… But it's cold...Dark...Soulless. Like your cell."_

 _Part of me was disappointed, having hoped for the longest that my cell was the only awful room._

 _We walked for what seemed like ages, until Delbert stopped me._

 _"We're here."_

 _A loud, long creak sounded, like an ancient door being opened. Delbert guided me a few more steps, and I almost cried at the smell of clean, fresh air. My blindfold was removed, and my heart leapt in my chest. The sun was setting, and we were on a roof with a spectacular view of it. The roof itself was a regular industrial roof, with guardrails to deter possible jumpers._

 _I watched intently, my heart soaring as the sky grew dark stars pierced inky black and gentle purple. If I'd been able to, I would have taken flight right there and never looked back. The Etherium was my life, and oh, how I had missed it. I stepped up to the guardrail and leaned forward, trying to grasp the sky the way I would aboard the Legacy._

 _"Ahem...Um...I thought you might like a...Change of scenery." Delbert spoke softly next to me. "They told me you were a captain...In the Navy…"_

 _My gaze stayed lost in the heavens, so my answer came out soft._

 _"Yes...I captained the finest ship in the Royal Navy...The RLS Legacy."_

 _There was a long pause, and then I heard him let out a shaky breath, and turned to look at him. His eyes were glued to the guardrails, but I could see him practically deflate. When he spoke, his voice was laced with pain._

 _"I'm sorry I haven't...Been much of a f-...A-Acquaintance lately. Your guards started asking questions, and when I wouldn't answer them, they went to my superior. I...refused to tell him anything, and I was punished. 50 lashings." he mumbled the last two words, and his face twitched._

 _My heart jumped in my chest, baffled at the fact that he would go through that just to protect me. He had no reason to do so, seeing as we were barely what one would call friends. My fingers were mere inches from his own, and I gripped the guardrail just to keep myself from allowing our fingers to touch._

 _"I'm sorry… I… That should never have happened. You shouldn't have tried to protect me." I took a deep breath, then stared coldly out into the Etherium. "You should only think of yourself. It's not worth it to try and help me."_

 _He turned his head to face me, and I forced a weak smile._

 _"Amelia…" I heard the concern and worry in his voice, but I could also hear the relief it was laced with._

 _"I can take care of myself. If I comply and cooperate, they won't hurt me."_

 _"But...That may not be the case for much longer. You haven't given my superiors any information that they want…And their patience is wearing thin. What do you suppose they will do when they realize they won't get anything from you?"_

 _"I can handle it," I said quickly, turning back to the stars._

 _I nearly jumped when I felt his hand on mine. I turned so quickly that my neck ached, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. His face was serious and worried, his eyes fierce._

 _"Amelia, you don't know who you're dealing with. I'm a valuable asset. They cannot hurt me, because they really need me. I can take a few lashes if it means you get to live." He paused, then turned away from me. "I won't sit back and watch them take another life. Not again."_

 _I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but suddenly I heard the long, low creaking of the door behind us. I spun around as a reptilian man stepped through, and yelled something foreign at Delbert's back. I watched as Delbert turned slowly, as if it hurt his very soul to do so._

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _The man looked at me, and it took all of my willpower not to lunge and toss him over the guardrail. Something dark inside me told me that it would be so satisfying to hear the sickening thud of his body as it hit the ground. The voice only grew in volume and intensity inside me when the man spit at the ground in front of me._

 _"Bah. Filthy scum should never see light of day."_

 _Just as I thought of a scathing response, I heard Delbert's voice in my head, reminding me to cooperate…or die. So, I went against my better nature and proceeded to lower my head in shame. It felt sick, and wrong… But it had to be done. Delbert was right. The only way to get even remotely close to freedom, was to make my captors feel that they had broken me. The man seemed to accept my behavior, and left mumbling to himself._

 _When I looked up again, Delbert was in front of me, avoiding my eyes._

 _"I have to take you back. We've overstepped our allotted time."_

 _He tugged the blindfold from his pocket, his hands gripping the blindfold angrily._

 _"He should not have done that."_

 _I said nothing, and allowed him to wrap the blindfold around my head. Something told me that he needed some time with his own thoughts, without my input._

 _As I followed him back to my cell, holding onto his arm, I found it hard to think of something to say. Everything I thought of felt wrong. I could tell he was upset, though not with me, but with my captors. It was as if all the bitterness and frustration that I had let fester all this time had jumped onto Delbert._

 _It was only when we were back in my cell and he was removing my blindfold that I realized something._

 _"You've never told me how long you've been here."_

 _Delbert flinched slightly, and shoved the blindfold back in his pocket._

 _"….Far too long. Goodnight, Amelia." And he left without another word._

 _Hearing my cell door creak closed only brought back the feeling of hopelessness. The ache in my heart only increased when I realized that today may be the last time I see the sky for a while._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _In the weeks following that day, Delbert and I proceeded to behave as if we'd accepted the roles given to us. He, a doctor whose only purpose was to keep me alive. Myself, a prisoner whose will had faltered but not crumbled. Every day was a battle to stay strong, even more so knowing that Delbert had all but given up at this point. I silently vowed to keep up the fight, but I had no idea how much harder my fight was going to get._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _As captain of the Royal Navy, I'd seen my fair share of heartbroken sailors. I'd seen well-mannered, happy family men who couldn't wait to get back home, get sucked into the vacuum of space or blasted away by a laser ball. The months following my little excursion with Delbert were plagued with nightmares. The faces of various sobbing friends and family flashed through my mind. Children tugging at my uniform, asking "where is Daddy?" and "why is Mommy crying?" made me toss and turn._

 _During one particularly torturous nightmare, I found myself returning from a 3-month long voyage. The purpose of the voyage was unclear, but what was clear was the sound of a 15-year-old Felid girl screaming angrily in my face in the midst of tears._

 _"This is all your fault! He's dead because of you!"_

 _Waking up in my cell the next morning after a night filled with my darkest and most feared realities was almost impossible. I stumbled blindly through my daily routine, but barely felt the confidence to keep up the fight._

 _"…Your guards said you've been having nightmares."_

 _Delbert's voice jolted me from the daze I'd been in. He was prepping my nutritional shots, but I noticed he was moving slower, giving me time to explain myself._

 _"It was nothing. Simply night terrors."_

 _"…I heard you. Last night. You were crying." He cleared his throat uncomfortably and avoided my eyes._

 _I said nothing in response._

 _"Who were you apologizing to?"_

 _I balled my hand into a fist, and turned my face away as he slid the syringe into my wrist._

 _"I no longer want to continue this conversation."_

 _I expected Delbert to drop it and leave the subject alone, but suddenly there was silence and I could feel his eyes on me. When I finally turned my face back to him, I felt like my throat was closing._

 _"Your guards are on break. I convinced my superiors that I could handle giving you your shots alone for once."_

 _I almost broke down sobbing when he placed his hand on my arm. I searched his deep brown eyes, wondering if I could really trust him. He must've been able to see the concern in my eyes, because he smiled softly and said:_

 _"I'm here for you, Amelia. You can tell me."_

 _My heart leaped in my chest. It felt overwhelmingly good to know that someone cared. After all I'd been through for almost a year now, I'd begun to think that no one cared about me. No one had come to rescue me, as far as I knew. My captors had not set me free, nor killed me, so I had no idea what they even wanted with me. Being alone in a cell for a year… It does things to your mind. But, gazing into his eyes… Seeing the care and worry in them…_

 _"It was a long voyage, one of my first. Longer than most. I don't remember our purpose… But I know we'd lost one good man. A very good man. He had a family… They confronted me when we docked at home. His…His daughter blamed me for his death. I tried to explain what happened…I'd tried my very best to save her father."_

 _I was near tears at this point, and bit my lip to keep from falling apart._

 _"She yelled, 'His blood is on your hands!' and spat in my face...She didn't know how much it had hurt me as well…Watching her father fall from my ship, battered…bloody…screaming for help…"_

 _Delbert gently placed a hand on my back, trying to comfort me. My body stiffened in response, due to the fact that usually when one touched me at all, horrendous battles would follow. It was then that I forced myself to remember who I was and who I was in the company of. My shoulders drooped as I tried to let it all out._

 _"I've been a captain for years, Delbert. I thought I'd seen it all… I thought I could handle anything…" I let out a weak sigh. "Apparently not."_

 _I paused, and looked over at him, my heart jumping when our eyes locked._

 _"I wanted to leave the Royal Navy that day," I said, tearing my eyes away and staring at the floor._

 _Delbert gently rubbed my back, and spoke softly._

 _"I don't believe you would want to leave the Navy. You…You're very good at your job. People like you…"_

 _"You don't understand! I watched that man get torn in half!" I snapped, pushing him away. I clutched my head as the graphic memories flooded back._

 ** _He fell from the ship suddenly, and I was powerless to save him. His head cracked against the bar as he fell, and his lifeline went taught as he careened out into the Etherium. I'd grabbed his lifeline desperately, trying to pull him back to the ship, struggling to hold back tears._**

 ** _"Just hold on!" I screamed desperately, tugging with all my might…But the bloody rope just snapped. It disconnected from him._**

 ** _And to make matters worse, a storm was coming._**

 ** _"No!"_**

 ** _I'd seen his face for a brief moment before rain lowered visibility. He looked… horrified… But peaceful. As if he were ready to go. Still, I tried to rally my crew to help. They all knew there was no hope._**

 ** _"Captain! We have to get to shelter!"_**

 ** _I yelled something unintelligible, tears streaming down my face. I knew my stoic façade had broken, but I couldn't help it. I'd only been a captain for a few years now, and I hadn't seen many deaths of my crew. I couldn't believe this would be my first. It couldn't be my first… This was supposed to be a routine supply run._**

 _I couldn't stop sobbing, and it was almost too much. Tears rolled down my face in torrents, as if all the tears I'd held in since the incident were falling at once._

 _I half-expected him to recoil and just leave right then and there. I was falling apart in front of him, and I wouldn't have blamed him if he took off and asked to be assigned to a different prisoner._

 _But surprisingly, he hugged. And not little "your friend is here" hug… But a full-on, both arms, holding me close kind of hug._

 _He held me for a while, at least until my sobbing subsided into soft sniffles._

 _"Amelia. I can't even…begin to imagine what it was like to witness something like that… But it was not your fault. There was nothing you could do…And you need to accept that."_

 _I knew he was right. As much as I wish I could've gone back and either tied that man to a post or locked him away from danger, it wasn't going to change things. Feeling guilty about something I had no control over only caused me more pain. But even knowing all this, my heart ached and I went right back to crying. This time, I curled into his arms and sobbed into his shirt, allowing him to hold me together as I simultaneously fell apart._

 _It still hadn't occurred to me yet the surprisingly pleasant predicament I had put myself in. If anyone were to come in, they would see me snuggled safely in Delbert's arms, on the verge of sleep. It would ruin my stoic image as a captain. But thankfully, no one came in, as far as I knew._

 _"Amelia? Are you alright?"_

 _I heard Delbert's voice, but was already far too deep in my sleep to care. I could feel him moving me back to my mattress, and expected to hear my cell door close right after… But instead, I felt his lips brush my forehead, and heard him whisper a soft "goodnight" before leaving my cell._

 _I opened my eyes, and for a few moments... I forgot the situation I was in._

 _"Mmm…" I sighed softly, and curled up on my side._

 _For the first time in almost a year, I fell asleep with a smile on my face._

 _What was happening to me?_

 ** _A/N: Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah it has indeed been a while. Um…So… Yeah. Lots has happened. Super busy, but I am trying to get back into my fics. Please review and let me know how this is so far! I've been trying to mature my writing style, so I hope it's okay. I think I've kinda lost touch with Amelia's character, so I'll be watching Treasure Planet again. Ideas are always welcome! Feel free to leave some in the reviews or shoot me a message! ^_^ Next chapter will be up when I have some time, so soon! ^_^_**


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